Megawati faction denies inciting riots
JAKARTA (JP): Loyalists of the Indonesian Democratic Party's ousted leader Megawati Soekarnoputri denied responsibility for violence that has marred the election campaign.
Haryanto Taslam, a Megawati loyalist, said the disturbances were "unavoidable excesses" of the government-recognized Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) camp's decision to campaign regardless of the party still having leadership problems.
"All PDI supporters have been ordered not to take part in the election campaign because the party is not ready to do so. Our supporters have accepted (Megawati's) order to stay away from rallies," said Haryanto, deputy secretary-general of Megawati's PDI camp.
Thousands of Megawati supporters across Java removed the party's flags and placards and disrupted a PDI rally in Surabaya, East Java, on Monday, forcing the PDI's Surabaya branch to cancel rallies for the rest of the campaign period.
Haryanto said the actions initiated by the Megawati loyalists were "spontaneous" and that she had not ordered them to disrupt the campaign.
"They (Megawati supporters) were provoked by some people who had failed to heed the aspirations of the grass roots," Haryanto said.
"Instead of us, it is them (supporters of the government-back PDI leadership under Soerjadi) who should be held responsible for the scuffles," he added.
The government accepted Soerjadi as the PDI chairman in place of Megawati following a breakaway congress in June last year. Megawati has filed dozens of lawsuits against both Soerjadi and the government, accusing both of illegally ousting her.
Megawati, elected by a popular vote in 1993, insists she is the legitimate PDI chief.
Haryanto said the Soerjadi camp had been warned of possible riots if they insisted on standing in the general election before the internal conflicts were resolved.
He said Megawati would announce another directive on the general election prior to the May 29 polling day.
"We have decided to shun the election campaign, but it doesn't mean we will boycott the election," he said.
Soerjadi has accused Megawati supporters of sabotaging the party's election campaign.
"Now we leave it up to the security authorities, because we do not have expertise in such a matter," Soerjadi said while attending a rally in Medan, North Sumatra, yesterday.
He suggested that the PDI not organize rallies unless there was guaranteed security. "It will be a waste of time and money if a planned rally fails to take place," he said.
Soerjadi had said earlier that the party would not rely on the campaign as a means to win votes.
However, he denied that incidents in a number of towns in Java would prevent him from making trips across the populated island during the campaign period.
"I have planned to visit the Central Java town of Pati and the East Java town of either Jember or Tulungagung," he said.
In Jakarta, another 14 Megawati supporters were arrested for removing PDI flags in Mampang, South Jakarta, yesterday morning, lawyer of Megawati loyalists, Pantas Nainggolan, said.
Pantas said about 100 people were removing the flags.
Eight Megawati supporters were apprehended by city police for the same offense Monday.
Leader of PDI's pro-Megawati camp, Roy Janis, said he had not ordered the removal of the flags, but added that he could not prevent supporters from doing so.
"Our leader's directive, which asks PDI activists not to take part in the election campaign, has two consequences. We are obliged either to clear all PDI symbols or to ignore them," he said. (05/amd)